New sturgeon regs

[David Johnson]

Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
Contact: Anne Pressentin (503) 872-5264 x5356
Internet: www.dfw.state.or.us

For Immediate Release February 15, 2002

2002 Lower Columbia Sturgeon Season Decided

PORTLAND - Oregon and Washington fishery managers today decided the lower Columbia River sport sturgeon season will close to retention on Sundays and Mondays in the spring and everyday for two months in late summer.
Catch and release fishing is allowed during the retention closures.
The sport and commercial sturgeon fisheries for the lower Columbia River from the mouth to Bonneville Dam are managed annually on a quota basis. The 2002 sport catch guidelines are 36,300 fish, not to exceed 38,300. The commercial guidelines are 9,200 not to exceed 9,700.
Currently, the sport season is open year-round. Managers worked with constituents to arrive at cuts to the season so the catch guideline would not be exceeded as it was in 2001.
The following closures were adopted:
· Closed to retention Sundays and Mondays from March 3 to May 13.
· Closed to retention everyday July 25 to Sept. 30.
These closed dates overlap dates when salmon fisheries are open. It is expected that sturgeon anglers who do not participate in a catch-and-release sturgeon fishery could turn to salmon angling.
Managers believe the closed periods are sufficient to limit the catch to the guidelines. However, a review of the catch will occur in mid-summer to see if the closed period needs to be modified.
Managers did not change other sturgeon regulations. Anglers may retain one sturgeon per day up to a 10-fish annual limit. Only sturgeon between 42 inches and 60 inches may be kept.
###

Anne Pressentin Young
Acting Administrator, Information & Education Division
Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife
(503) 872-5264 ext 5356
anne.m.pressentin@state.or.us

[invader]

SO ONCE AGAIN THE SPORTSMAN GET THE SHORT END!!.. just sent them an e-mail. hope they wont arrest me!!.....john

[SureSet]

Invader,

How do you figure? Sportsmen get 80% of the fish caught. The problem is that 80% isn't enough to satisfy all of the sportman, even 100% would probably not be enough given the growing popularity of the fishery. The only answer here is for the "sportsman" to suck it up and understand that the resource is limited and protect/manage it.

SureSet

[Tacklebuster]

My two and a half cents worth....

I know this regulation will take some money out of the pockets of some guides now, but should ensure them a paycheck in the future. Let's honestly face it, the keeper sturgeon are getting hammered. I have brought enough legal sturgeon to me boat so far this year (and it's only mid Febuary) to fill all the tags (3) in my family, plus more. If you have ever spent any time around the Astoria area in late May through July, it is a slaughter.
I talk to people that camp for a week at a time and bring back more fish than they know what to do with. I bet half of it ends up freezer burnt and thrown away. I think that by the time March the 3rd has rolled around, everyone should have their fair share of fillets in their freezer to nibble at come Sunday and Monday. We are sportfisherman, the thrill of the game is being out there catching fish. We don't need to kill something everytime we wet a line. To me, it's a chess game. I love saying check mate as I put that 49 inch fatty back into the water to play another day.
I have kept my fair share of fish and have released many more than I have roped. Besides, come the 2 month closure, everyone and their two sheep will be slaying the salmonoids and the sturgeon will be on the back burner. In closing, I fully agree that something should be done and as long as I can keep fishing and participate in the future of our sturgeon fishing, so the better.
As my partner SureSet said in the above post, suck it up. Maybe in ten years when our kids or grandkids are having 20 to 30 fish days and bringing home meat to boot, it will all be worth it.....

[David Johnson]

I have no complaint with this set of regulations, we do need to regulate them to keep them healthy.

The months they are closed are the ones that I'll be fishing salmon anyway and that will keep me from doing extra work, some people want to fish sturgeon after they get their salmon limit and now they won't. And the Sunday/Monday closure will give me a couple days off with the family (now I'll take Saturday off too since it will be a zoo out there then)